This invention relates to a modular plug for use in the telephonic and related industries. More particularly, this invention relates to a new and improved eight wire modular plug which can be used interchangeably on any 6 or 8 wire modular jack. The eight wire modular plug of the present invention thus provides access to a standard, conventional 6 or 8 wire modular jack for hooking up a variety of well known telephone and similar equipment.
In the telephonic and related arts, modular jacks and corresponding modular plugs are well known and have been increasingly utilized for effecting communication between telephonic and other equipment. It is also well known that modular plugs for eight wire jacks differ in size from modular plugs for six wire modular jacks. Modular plugs for eight wire jacks are larger than six wire modular plugs and therefore, eight wire modular plugs cannot be used in conjunction with six wire modular jack (it will be appreciated that six or eight wire modular jacks may have one or two pairs, i.e., be 2 or 4 wire). Restated, a modular jack of standard construction for a six wire modular plug has a first sized opening for receiving a modular plug which is smaller than the corresponding second sized opening in an eight wire modular for receiving an eight wire modular plug. As a result, different prior art modular plugs (i.e., a smaller modular plug for the smaller sized opening in a 6 wire modular jack and a larger modular plug for the larger sized opening in an 8 wire modular jack) have had to be used depending upon the modular jack which is to be interfaced (i.e., six wire plug, eight wire plug, etc.). This has created extra purchasing and manufacturing costs as well as complicating repair and installation activity.
In an effort to overcome this problem, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 634,818, assigned to the assignee hereof and incorporated herein by reference, discloses a "universal" eight wire modular plug which is capable of interfacing or plugging into any six or eight wire modular jack. As mentioned, a 6 or 8 wire modular jack may have 1 or 2 pairs, i.e., be 2 or 4 wires. The eight wire modular plug disclosed in U.S. Ser. No. 634,818 (which can fit into any six or eight wire modular jack) is suitable for use on a variety of telephonic and related equipment including, for example, a modular plug ended test adapter such as disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 634,818, which is also assigned to the assignee hereof and incorporated herein by reference. The modular plug of U.S. Ser. No. 634,818, therefore, provides increased versatility and capabilities relative to prior art modular plugs and permits the use of only one modular plug for both six or eight wire jacks. Also, great cost savings and ease of use are achieved thereby.
The modular plug of U.S. Ser. No. 634,818 comprises eight conductive contacts, each contact respectively attached to a wire or lead. The contacts and attached wires are all encased in an insulating housing having a well known snap lock lever thereon for locking into a conventional six or eight wire modular jack. Significantly, the eight wire modular plug housing of U.S. Ser. No. 634,818 has a relatively narrower configuration at one end thereof (provided by stepped-in side portions) which permits entry or insertion into any six or eight wire modular jack regardless of the size of the receiving opening in the particular modular jack.
While well suited for its intended purposes, it has been found that certain 6 position modular jacks are manufactured with a small molded shoulder or extension located internally of the jack. This shoulder will act to obstruct or stop the "universal" eight position modular plug of U.S. Ser. No. 634,818 from forming a secure snap fit within such a modular jack.